


when the world ends

by loonachos



Category: LOONA (Korea Band)
Genre: Action, Angst, F/F, Superpowers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-05
Updated: 2019-06-05
Packaged: 2020-04-08 04:03:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19099363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loonachos/pseuds/loonachos
Summary: Jungeun has been in multiple loops trying to find a future where Jiwoo is alive. Superpowers one shot.





	when the world ends

**Author's Note:**

> yeah, idk. i wanted to make this a multi chaptered story, but time traveling is too difficult for my brain xD

Death number 112.

It never gets easier.

The pain is always the same.

I couldn’t breathe as I sat there with bullets whizzing by me. There was so much chaos all around, but I couldn’t think of anything but how my best friend was going to die in my arms as I pressed my hand against the bullet wound on her stomach. Blood was spilling through my fingers and I knew that out here, with no one around willing to help, it was useless even if she survived today, she wouldn’t survive the next.

“Jiwoo, oh god, please,” I prayed to a god that wasn’t listening, but it was all I could do. “Not again. Please, I can’t do this again.”

I held her tighter as she struggled to get words out, not even one passing her lips as blood spilled from it instead. 

“It’s okay, Jiwoo. It’s going to be okay.” I brushed her bangs that has been growing long to the side and lowered myself to kiss her forehead like I’ve done so many times before.

I didn’t care how loud my sobs were when her grip on my hand became loose and she took her last breath.

I closed my eyes tight and took in a shaky breath before counting.

1

2

3

“Jungeun!”

I opened my eyes as a body came crashing into mine.

“Why are you just standing here like an idiot? You were supposed to meet me at the gate.”

“Jiwoo,” I whispered out.

She hummed in response and pulled away from the hug, but I pulled her back in instead.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” She asked me, rubbing my back as I buried my face in her neck before letting go of the hug.

“Nothing. Nothing, I just miss you is all.” I wiped the corner of my eye with my sleeve before she could see the tears.

Jiwoo smiled that big smile of her’s and slapped my arm.

“Ow, what the hell was that for?” I exclaimed while rubbing the spot she hit.

“You’re such a dork. I thought something was actually wrong. We just saw each other in between classes.” Jiwoo reached out to hold my hand and dragged me along. “What do you want to do? It’s finally the weekend.”

“I don’t know. Chill at my place?”

“We always go to your place. I don’t get why you don’t like Chaewon anymore.”

“I never said I don’t like her,” I said defensively.

“So you don’t purposely ignore her every time you see her?”

I sighed knowing I couldn’t answer that truthfully. “Fine. We can go to your place instead.”

“I mean, we don’t have to if it makes you uncomfortable. I don’t get it though. You guys used to be so close, what happened?”

I stopped to get Jiwoo to look at me. “Nothing happened, okay? She’s still my friend, so let’s just grab some food and head there.”

Jiwoo looked into my eyes searching for something I wasn’t sure she found, but seemed content anyways. 

“Fried chicken and tteokbokki?” She asked as she went back to smiling and I sighed in relief.

“Sounds good.”

Jiwoo ordered way more servings than there were people, but it wasn’t surprising since most of it would end up in her stomach when everyone else was full anyways. She claimed she eats a lot because of taekwondo. I always remind her she hasn’t trained in years. She would just laugh and go back to stuffing her face as I would steal glances at how carefree she always was. 

How could the world be so cruel to someone like her? 

The walk to her shared dorm was short. We had wanted to room together, but being a 2nd year meant that we didn’t get a choice in our living arrangements since priority went to the upperclassmen. We were lucky we both roomed with someone we already knew though.

“Chae! I’m home and got food,” Jiwoo said in a sing song voice right when we entered.

“Give me a minute,” came a tiny reply.

We walked in to see Jiwoo’s roommate, Chaewon, and the girl’s best friend, Hyejoo, seated on the ground in front of the tv.

“Do I always have to remind you guys that sitting that close to the television is bad for your eyes? There’s a couch for a reason you know?” Jiwoo lectured. “Besides, I need room to set up the food.” She walked over and kicked at their feet as she laid out newspaper and placed the containers down.

“Hey Jiwoo unnie,” Hyejoo greeted without taking her eyes off of the tv.

“I died again!” Chaewon yelled, putting down her game controller before looking up at us. “Oh, hey Jungeun unnie. I haven’t seen you in a while.”

“Yeah, it’s been a while.” I awkwardly scratched at the back of my neck. “Hey Hyejoo.”

“Hi Unnie.” The dark haired girl was younger than them, so she went to a different school, but was always found at the dorm to hang out with Chaewon. “I’m going to use the bathroom before we eat.” She got up and shook out her numb legs before walking off.

“Me too!” Jiwoo announced, leaving me alone with the small blonde.

“You could sit down you know.” Chaewon moved a bit so that her back was now resting against the couch.

I forgot that I was just standing around awkwardly as I nodded and sat at the other side of the food.

“Chaewon.”

“Unnie.”

We said at the same time.

“You— you go first,” I stammered out and focused my eyes on the box of fried chicken.

She sighed. “Did something happen again?”

I looked up in surprise, my mouth becoming dry. “I don’t want to involve you.” Every time I saw the blonde, she would always know something was wrong and I hated how easy I was to read so I avoided her altogether.

Chaewon sighed again. “Just because I said I won’t do it, doesn’t mean I don’t want you to talk to me about it.”

I stayed silent and she took it as a cue to continue.

“You can’t keep these things to yourself. It’s just going to eat away at you.” She clicked her teeth when I still didn’t respond. “You never pick up when I call.”

“What’s the point? It’s always the same anyways.” I started to play with my sleeve out of a nervous habit.

Chaewon pulled her knees up to her chest. “Every time I look at her, I feel guilty.”

“Chae— What if, what if this time, I told you it wasn’t just her. What if I told you we all died this time.” I looked at her as I felt tears coming up.

“What?” She raised her voice, eyebrows knitted together.

“You guys better not have started eating without us!” Jiwoo’s voice came through, interrupting our conversation.

I quickly wiped my eyes with my sleeve and smiled up at her as she took a seat next to me, passing out plates that she went to get.

“Chicken.” Hyejoo came in, dragging the word out with her arms outstretched like she hasn’t seen food in days. 

The kid wasn’t very expressive about anything other than games and food. Never showing much emotions until you messed with her friends.

I took a glance over at Chaewon and caught her eyes still on me. I tried to swallow the lump in my throat and fidgeted with my sleeves again to keep my hands from shaking.

“Eat. You’re getting skinnier than you already are,” Jiwoo said, putting food onto my plate without me even asking her to.

I thanked her silently as she handed me a pair of chopsticks. I wasn’t feeling hungry, but knew if I didn’t eat, Jiwoo would just bother me about it more.

Food hasn’t been tasting good. Everything was just bland like the colors being sucked out of my world. Nothing felt right. Everything was wrong and no matter how hard I tried to fix it, it all ended with my world in grey.

I played around with my food more than I ate it, but finished what Jiwoo gave me anyways just so she wouldn’t comment on it.

Chaewon volunteered to clean up after we finished since we bought the food, and before Hyejoo could stand up to help as well, I abruptly jumped up.

“I can help too!” I said a bit too loud, clearing my throat as I picked up mine and Jiwoo’s plate.

I followed Chaewon to the kitchen trying to prepare myself for a talk I wasn’t sure I’d ever be ready for.

“So,” the blonde’s voice trailed. She had her back faced towards me, putting the dishes in the sink.

“I’m sorry I’ve been ignoring you,” I spoke to clear the air.

I could see Chaewon sighing, placing her hands on the edge of the sink. “I’m not going to lie and say that I wasn’t hurt when you stopped talking to me, but I’m also sorry that I made you feel like you couldn’t come to me.”

I bit the bottom of my lip. “I don’t blame you, you know.”

Chaewon turned around with red eyes. “But it feels like you do.”

“For a bit, I did, but that was just me being angry and then time passed and I just didn’t know how to approach you again.” I stepped closer to keep the volume of our voices down.

“You can’t keep doing this, Jungeun unnie.” Chaewon reached out to hold my hands. “Time manipulation is a dangerous power. We were both cursed with it, but that is why we have to keep it under control.”

“You think I don’t know that? I didn’t mean,” my voice trailed. “I didn’t mean to see that reality, but I saw it. I saw her die and I— I couldn’t let her.”

“How many realities have you seen? They all end up the same. Maybe you weren’t meant to see it. Maybe we’re not meant to stop it.”

“How could you say that? She’s your friend,” I hissed out. “We all died in my recent timeline. Are you saying that we’re all meant for that fate too?”

Chaewon let out a frustrated growl and ran a hand through her hair. “Turning back time is even more dangerous than just your power of seeing different realities.”

“I know that.”

“Then you know why I can’t do it. We’ve been over this so many times, Unnie, but even the smallest change could create something much more disastrous than a death of someone we love.”

“She is all I have Chaewon. The world could end for all I care, but I need her,” my voice shook from anger.

“You don’t think I love her too?” Chaewon voiced raised. “Jiwoo unnie is the only person that was there for me when things were turning to shit. I hit rock bottom and she gave me my life back. I wish I could return the favor, but I know she wouldn’t want me to knowing there are consequences.”

“Is everything okay?” We both turned our heads to see Jiwoo by the kitchen entrance.

“We’re fine,” Chaewon said clearing her throat.

“I think I want to go home.” My voice was barely above a whisper.

“I’ll walk you.”

“No, you’re already here, so just stay.”

“No, I’m not letting you walk home alone when something is clearly up with you,” Jiwoo argued as she went to get her keys in the living room.

I turned back to Chaewon who was staring at me. “I’m sorry.”

“Every night, I lay awake in bed thinking about how I should just say fuck the world and its screwed up sense of fate.” Chaewon shook her head before hesitantly saying, “if this current timeline doesn’t work out, come back and talk to me again. Convince me, Unnie, because I don’t want Jiwoo unnie to die either.”

I blinked back tears and nodded my head before leaving the kitchen, not allowing my emotions to build up. 

“Bye, Hyejoo-ah. I’m heading out,” I said to the girl that was still seated on the floor with her back resting on the couch.

“Already, Unnie?” Hyejoo stood up.

“Yeah, I’ll see you around, okay?” I gave the taller girl a quick hug before walking out the door with Jiwoo.

“You guys talked,” Jiwoo stated more than she asked as we walked in the cold.

“Yeah,” I replied, shoving my hands in my jacket pockets.

Jiwoo tugged at my arm for me to look at her. “Did I do something wrong?”

My eyebrows raised. “No, no, you haven’t done anything wrong.”

“Then why did you guys say my name in there? You two sounded angry.” The redhead dropped her hand from my arm. “It’s fine if you guys aren’t friends anymore. You don’t have to keep trying for my sake if it’s too much for you.”

“I told you, we’re still friends. You’re not forcing us to do anything.” I racked my brain for something better to say, but I couldn’t come up with anything. “I’ve just been having some things on my mind.” 

“You know you could always talk to me.”

“I know.”

“But you don’t.”

I shook my head. “I know.”

“I’m worried about you, Jungeun,” Jiwoo said as we were almost at my dorm on the other side of campus.

“And I worry about you,” I whispered out.

Jiwoo turned to me confused. “Why would you need to worry about me?”

I pulled my hands out of my pocket and held onto her’s. “Because we’ve had this conversation many times before. I would tell you how much I love you and you would say you love me back. I would tell you that I’d do anything for you, but in the end, none of it even matters.” I searched her confused eyes as tears sprung into mine.

“You’ve been using your powers.” Jiwoo blinked back her own tears, finally understanding why I’ve been acting the way I was. “What happens?”

“It doesn’t matter, Jiwoo. I collapse the timeline every time and this conversation would have never happened.”

“Why?” Jiwoo asked through gritted teeth. “You can’t just tell me something like that and not tell me why.”

“Because every time I tell you, you tell me to just let you go, but I can’t.” Silent tears rolled down my cheeks and I don’t even care that the sun is still out and people could just walk by seeing me in this state.

“I die.” Jiwoo’s shoulders fell from realization and her angry face turned into something I’ve always hated seeing. “That’s the only reason why I would ask you to let me go, because I would never leave you willingly.”

I choked back a sob, wiped my eyes, and began to walk the rest of the way to my dorm. “I’ve tried so many times, Jiwoo.”

“How many?” Jiwoo grabbed for my hand again and held it to stop it from shaking.

“Does it matter?” I gripped onto her hand tighter and stopped in my tracks when someone caught my eye. “The Protectorate,” I said as I saw people in heavy uniforms patrolling my dorm building. I pulled Jiwoo away and walked in a different direction.

“Do you think someone was exposed?” Jiwoo asked.

“Probably or a false alarm, but I doubt it.” I pulled out my phone and checked the time.

6:32 p.m.

I then dialed a number, waiting as it rang.

“Jungeun unnie,” came a small voice from the other line.

“Are you in the dorms?”

“Unnie, they cut the powers and quarantined the place.” the voice whispered scaredly. “I think they’re coming for me. I haven’t even told anyone of my powers. How would they know?”

“They might not be there for you then, Yerim, but just stay there. I’m going to come get you.” My heart raced.

“Please stay on the phone with me,” Yerim said desperately.

“Of course. I’ll be here,” I reassured before turning to Jiwoo. “Go back to your dorm.”

Jiwoo looked at me as if I was crazy. “What? No. If something happens, I could heal you.”

“But you can’t heal yourself.” I didn’t want to argue now. I had to get to Yerim.

“And if I leave and die anyways. Are you going to let me die alone?”

I stared into her eyes. It wasn’t the first time she has used this as an argument, but it never hurt any less. “Fine, but stay close.”

I heard whispering on the other line and held the phone closer to my ear. “Yerim, go to your room window. Stay low until I tell you I’m there. All I have is a pocket mirror, but it has to work because I can’t get through the front.”

“Unnie,” Yerim’s voice was quieter. “I can hear them on our floor.”

“We’re coming, Yerim. Just hang tight.” I grabbed onto Jiwoo’s hand with my free one and pulled her as we ran along the side of another building to stay away out of sight.

My dorm was a short sprint away from where we were. I looked over at Jiwoo who nodded, knowing that I was silently asking her if she was ready. I nodded back and we ran. We ran until we got to the side where Yerim’s room window was.

“Yerim, we’re here, but you have to make it fast because I don’t know when a patrol will come around,” I spoke into the phone and pulled the mirror out of my bag.

“Okay.” I heard shuffling on the other line as we looked up to where Yerim’s room is, but then it suddenly stopped.

“Yerim,” I said quietly.

“I’m not going to make it, Unnie. They’re inside,” Yerim voice shook even as it came out as whispers.

“Just open the window quickly and teleport through the mirror. Yerim, you have to try,” I pleaded with her. Jiwoo clung onto my side and I held her closer.

We both kept our eyes trained on the window. I held my breath as I saw it open, but just as quickly as I saw purple hair, it quickly disappeared, followed by loud noises on the phone.

“Yerim?!” I yelled, heart pounding in my throat. “Yerim, are you okay?”

“Unnie!” Yerim cried out and then a scream of pain echoed in my ears.

We were too late. The Protectorate most likely shot out a device that stopped Yerim from using her powers and sent excruciating shocks through her body. They were going to take Yerim in and we’d never see her again.

“What’s happening?” Jiwoo asked when I pulled her back towards the direction we came from.

“We have to go,” I said, trying not to cry as I scrambled to take out the sim card from my phone to break in half.

“We can’t just leave Yerim!”

“We don’t have a choice.” I didn’t want to leave. Yerim was more family to me than my actual blood, but I couldn’t save her. I couldn’t save anyone.

“Stop right there!” We heard an almost robotic sounding voice through a helmet from behind us.

We didn’t stop knowing how fast they could track cell phones and I was a moment away from getting rid of the sim with all of my information.

“I said stop or I’ll shoot!”

Not a second after the warning, shots were fired. I automatically ducked hearing the bullets hit the forceshield Jiwoo had up around us. We just had to get out of range, but it’s easier said than done when I was caught off guard and thrown off my feet.

“Jiwoo!” I called out as her grip on my hand was no longer there. I looked over to see a protectorate with his foot on her chest. I tried to scramble over when I was lifted off the ground by my arm, the gun that held the device that will stop my powers ready to fire at me. “No,” I whispered. If I can’t use my powers, then I can’t collapse this timeline to get back to the moment before any of this happened.

“Stop resisting!” The man with an actual gun that could kill commanded, aiming it at Jiwoo on the ground.

Our powers didn’t work when we were in arms length of their uniform, but it didn’t stop Jiwoo from trying.

“Keep resisting!” I yelled out. Resisting would get Jiwoo killed, but for once, I needed Jiwoo to die so that I could use my powers. I couldn’t control it unless my emotions were heightened to the max.

What a power, to only be used in the face of death of a loved one.

Jiwoo stopped struggling. She knew why I was telling her to fight back. She knew if she died, our same conversations would happen over and over again, and I’d watch her die every time.

“Jiwoo, no,” my voice cracked as tears fell. I was thrashing around in the man’s hold as he tried to keep me still to shoot the device behind my neck to stop me from using my powers.

She looked at me one last time before looking up at the man with the gun. “I’m the only one with powers, I swear. Just let her go. She didn’t even know I had them until now,” Jiwoo begged.

I saw her about to say more when the man above her fired a single shot, killing Jiwoo instantly. “No!” I screamed, not being able to feel anything but numbness.

Death number 113.

“You could sit down you know.” Chaewon moved a bit so that her back was now resting against the couch.

I forgot that I was just standing around awkwardly as I nodded and sat at the other side of the food.

“Chaewon.”

“Unnie.”

We said at the same time.

“You— you go first,” I stammered out and focused my eyes on the box of fried chicken.

She sighed. “Did something happen again?”

“Yerim got taken in and Jiwoo died, but nothing new right?” I said with almost no emotion.

“Yerim?” Chaewon eyebrows raised in surprise.

“This is the second time, Chae. The one before this, you and Hyejoo died too. It’s not just Jiwoo anymore,” I explained. “When I leave your dorm, I’m going to have to run back to mine and get Yerim out of trouble.”

“What do you want me to do then? Turn back time, because you know I can’t do that,” the blonde hissed out.

“You tell me that every time, but the timeline before this, you asked me to come back and try to convince you.” My facial expression immediately changed as I saw Jiwoo, followed by Hyejoo walk back into the room.

I mostly ate in silence like I usually did as Jiwoo carried on talking even when no one else was. I was thankful for that talent of hers. Nothing was ever awkward when she was around. Jiwoo knew how to make people feel as if she had enough love to give to everyone and I couldn’t let someone so good in this cruel world die.

I offered to help Chaewon clean up again as we both walked into the kitchen. 

“How are you going to convince me?” Chaewon asked, hands on the sink, facing away from me. “How would we even know how far back we have to turn time in order for this to work.”

I bit my bottom lip. “I kept replaying the first time Jiwoo died. Nothing was out of the ordinary, but then I remembered Jiwoo saying something about an injured woman she saw outside of her workplace, and I’m not sure if she said she saved the woman or not, but if she did, I think she might have healed someone she wasn’t supposed to. Jiwoo’s power signature must have stayed on the woman for the Protectorate or someone to sense.”

“You’re not sure.” Chaewon turned around and crossed her arms. “I can’t work with an unsure memory, Unnie.”

I huffed out air in frustration. “Jiwoo’s going to walk into the kitchen soon and you know her, she’s good at reading the situation, so she’s gonna ask to walk me back to my dorm. You have to convince her to stay.”

And on that cue, we both turned our heads to hear a voice. “Is everything okay?” Jiwoo was standing by the kitchen entrance.

“We’re fine,” Chaewon said clearing her throat.

“I’m just going to go home,” I said trying to keep my voice steady.

“I’ll walk you.”

“No, you’re already here, so just stay.”

“No, I’m not letting you walk home alone when something is clearly up with you,” Jiwoo argued as she went to get her keys in the living room.

I turned back to Chaewon who was staring at me before heading out of the kitchen to catch up with the redhead. “Unnie, we were just talking. It’s fine. It’s going to get dark soon and I don’t want you walking back at night.”

“Yeah, Jiwoo. I’ll be fine.” I put on my shoes and took her hand to take the keys out of her clenched fist.

She sighed in defeat and let go of her lanyard.

I hesitantly took a step towards her and reached out to place my hand behind her neck to pull her in closer before kissing her forehead. “I love you,” I mumbled.

She looked up in confusion. “Yeah, I love you too. Are you sure you’re okay?” It wasn’t often that I said those words first, but I found myself saying it more frequently knowing that our time could be limited.

“Yeah,” I lied, smiling at her softly and opened the door to leave. I pulled out my phone to check the time

6:11 p.m.

I then dialed a number and waited for it to ring.

“Jungeun unnie,” came a bright voice from the other time.

I sighed in relief. “Yerim.”

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! catch me on the bird app @loonachoz


End file.
